After watching the carefully stage-managed parade of Communist Chinese military power observing the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, it is important to hear and heed the warning provided by an American general who endured four brutal years as a Japanese prisoner-of-war eight decades ago.
General Jonathan Wainwright fought a brave but futile defense of the Philippines in the days after Pearl Harbor. Having been overwhelmed by far superior forces, his men faced the Bataan Death March and barbaric treatment from their Japanese captors.
Four years later, he joined General Douglas MacArthur for the surrender of Imperial Japan to the Allies. Wainwright would go home to become an articulate and forceful voice for an America capable of defending freedom. He knew from bitter personal experience the cost of military complacency during peacetime. Having witnessed firsthand the catastrophic consequences of America's pre-war military weakness in the Philippines, he repeatedly emphasized that preparation for war must occur during peace, not after a conflict begins.
As if Wainwright had a crystal ball into 21st-century China, he argued that America's enemies would inevitably test our perceived weaknesses and that our military strength must serve as the primary deterrent to aggression. His experience suggested that half-measures and symbolic military gestures were worse than no presence at all, as they invited attack while providing insufficient means for an effective defense.
He also warned that American military strength required more than technological superiority; it demanded a professional officer corps, well-trained enlisted personnel, and a national commitment to maintaining military readiness even during periods of apparent peace.
This month, China put their most potent military technology on display, along with thousands of strutting troops, to send a message to Washington and our allies. Joined by Russia and North Korea, the communist giant would be recognized by Wainwright as Imperial Japan reinvented, but with far stronger resources and with the intent of true global dominance.
We need to appreciate Wainwright's perspective, as both a defeated commander and a Medal of Honor recipient, that military weakness invites aggression and that the price of unpreparedness is humiliation and possibly defeat. His warnings, grounded in his personal sacrifice and unflinching military experience, carry enormous moral weight and should be part of every meeting convened by today's new and impressive U.S. Department of War.
Lawrence Kadish serves on the Board of Governors of Gatestone Institute.
